The Difference One Can Make
by Kalaia
Summary: Anna Venn has been Light Yagami's friend ever since she moved to Japan, but he's been acting strange ever since L and Kira were introduced. Can she save everyone before it's too late? Hints of LxOC and LightxOC.
1. Yagamikun, Anna, L, and a Shinigami

"Yagami-kun."

Yagami Light shifted his eyes from the window to the girl who sat next to him, doodling. He didn't lift his chin from the palm of his hand, and she didn't stop drawing.

"What is it now, Anna-san?" He sighed. "And I told you to call me Light."

Anna paused in her drawing and looked up. Her green eyes shined mischievously at him. "Nope." She put her pencil down and pushed her drawing over to him. "You look bored."

Light looked down at the notebook. It was almost a photographic image of him as he was a few seconds ago…with a few differences.

"Anna, why do you always do this?" he rubbed his forehead. In the picture he was half-asleep….and drooling…with a fake mustache drawn on his face.

She laughed. "Well it'd be boring if I drew reality." She tapped her head. "I draw what I wish would happen."

Light raised his eyebrow. "And you wish I had facial hair?" Anna never made any sense.

She snorted. "No, you'd look creepy." She twirled a sharpie in her hand. "I wish I could draw a mustache on you while you sleep during class." The sharpie fell and she cursed. "But I don't think I'd get away with it."

Light rolled his eyes and looked back out the window. Was that…a notebook?

* * *

><p>"Gah!" Light had barely a chance to put the notebook in his bag before something had pounced on his back.<p>

"Mush!" a voice called from above him.

"Anna," he growled, "Why do you do this every Friday?"

Anna tightened her grip around Light's neck. "Cuz its fun."

"Then why don't you do it every day?"

"…because then I'd cause a back injury."

Light sighed, but let her stay on his back. "You're lucky I'm not some weakling."

He felt a light pressure on his head. Anna was resting her chin. "I know." She slanted her eyes down at him. "Is there anything you're not perfect in?" she asked. "It's kind of annoying."

He grinned slightly. "What are you talking about?"

She played with his hair, grinning because she knew he hated it when anyone other than her went near his hair. "You're at the top of the class, you're popular, handsome, athletic." She ruffled his hair again. "I don't think I've ever seen you fail at anything."

He chuckled. "Well you failed to notice one thing."

Anna looked down, surprised. "Eh?"

"I have terrible choices in friends."

"Oi, shut up!" she yelled and smacked the back of his head. Light just laughed.

* * *

><p>"I'm home," Light called.<p>

"Me too!" Anna yelled, still on top of him. "Situree simasu!"

A kind-looking, older woman came around the corner. "Ah, Light, you're home." She smiled at Anna. "It's always good to see you, Anna."

Anna blushed. "Yeah…well, I aim to please."

Light pulled her off his back, ignoring her protests. "Take off your shoes, Anna."

Anna crossed her arms. "Actually, I gotta get home early today. I'll see ya at cram school, ne, Yagami-kun."

"It's Light!" Light complained at the same time that Anna said, "It was nice seeing you, Mrs. Yagami."

"Bai-bai!" She was out the door before Light even got a chance to respond.

* * *

><p>Anna was glued to the TV screen, biting her fingernail in worry.<p>

"And it seems that the police are still unable to do anything-."

It'd been fifteen minutes since the news had announced the hostage situation at the nursery school. It always bothered her when children were involved in crimes.

"Come on, somebody do something," she whispered.

"Wait…the hostages are coming out!"

Anna jumped. "What?" She turned up the volume on the TV.

"- he collapsed!"

Anna stared at the TV in shock. Then, a slow smile curled up her face. "Thank you, God."

She turned off the TV and grabbed her bag.

* * *

><p>"Yagaammmiii-kuuuun!"<p>

Light staggered as Anna wrapped her arms around him, a little too tightly for a hug.

"Did you see it? Did you? Did you? Did you?"

Light tried to yank her off of him. "See what, Anna?"

"The hostage guy!" Light started. Did she…No. He composed himself.

"I thought you only watched cartoons, Anna."

"I do not!" she pouted. Then she brightened. "So you did see it?"

Light gave up on trying to pull the leech off. "Obviously."

"Wasn't it amazing?" She let go and began to walk in front of him…backwards. "I was so scared for the little kids, but then BAM! Divine intervention!"

Light stopped for a moment. Divine intervention. He grinned.

"Oi!" He snapped out of it. Anna was in his face. "We're gonna be late, come on!" He let himself be pulled to cram class.

Anna frowned as Sudou and his buddies started to pick on Ryo again. She growled and started walking towards them. A hand grabbed hers and pulled her in the opposite direction. "Hey!"

Light shook his head. "Don't bother, Anna. You'll only make it worse for him and yourself."

"But someone's gotta do something!" Anna tried to pull her hand back, but Light just tightened his grip.

"I know," he said grimly. "But that person isn't going to be you."

Anna watched his face carefully. "Are you saying that that person will be you?"

Light didn't answer, but froze when he felt arms encircle his waist. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Anna could tell Light was getting really annoyed as they walked. It wasn't hard. She had always been good at reading people, and she'd known Light long enough that it was second nature for her. She didn't always enjoy her talent though. Most of the time knowing people's emotions just made her feel upset.<p>

Anna noticed a group of men with motorcycles standing around a woman. She really hoped it wasn't what she thought it was. She winced as two of the men grabbed the woman, who started to shout. She looked for Light, but he had already gone inside of the store. She pulled out her cell phone and called the police. Better safe than sorry.

"Hello, what is your emergency?"

"Uh this is Anna Venn, there's a bunch of guys, and it looks like-," she paused. The woman had broken free. She screamed as a truck came out of nowhere and slammed into one of the men who had run after her.

"Miss? Miss, can you hear me?"

She took a breath. "Yes, yes I can hear you."

"What is your emergency, ma'am?"

"There's been an accident."

After Anna finished giving her statement to the police, she went back into the store. Light wasn't anywhere to be found.

* * *

><p>During the next school day, Anna watched as Light came in and sat down next to her. He was off in his own world. Anna had never seen him so stressed out before. She didn't press it. The next day he was acting like his normal self again…but something was still different. Anna didn't say anything, but she was worried. Light made excuses to stay at home for the next week or so. He had begun to look tired and it looked like he had lost weight. After another week, Anna decided she would visit him…soon.<p>

She threw her bag by the wall and paused to pick up the cat that had come to greet her. "Hello, Night," she murmured. The cat used to be a stray, but she and Light had found it outside the library one day.

~flashback~

"Careful, Anna. You don't know what that cat has," Light warned as Anna stretched out her hand to let the black cat sniff her.

"Oh, be quiet, Yagami-kun." The cat stopped sniffing her hand and rubbed its face against her, purring. "I'll be fine."

Light shook his head. "Yeah, well don't blame me when you get rabies."

The cat was now in Anna's lap. "Aww, poor thing. Ignore that mean Yagami-kun." She held the cat in front of her. "He doesn't know anything." It meowed.

Light rolled his eyes.

"Aww, look at you. You're so thin!" Anna looked up at Light and then back down to the cat. "You're coming home with me!"

"Oi, Anna. You can't take in every stray you find!"

Anna frowned, but stood up, cat in hand. She held it up in front of Light. "Look at this face. It's irresistible!"

Light stared at the cat. Part of its ear was missing and its tail was gray with dirt. He glanced at Anna's face behind the cat. She was pouting. He groaned.

"Fine, take the stupid cat home."

Anna squealed and started walking home…her bag still on the steps. Light sighed and picked up the bag.

"Hmm, what to name you?"

"How about Fluffy?" Light suggested.

Anna deadpanned. "Really, Yagami? Of all of the names you could have picked, you pick fluffy?" She tisked. "You really aren't creative are you?"

"Well, what would you name it, then?"

Anna stared at the cat in her arms. "Night!"

"Night?" He stared at its black fur. "And you accuse me of not being creative."

Anna punched his arm. He wasn't sure how she managed it while holding a cat. "I'm not naming it because of what color it is!" She grinned. "It rhymes with Light!"

Light's eyes widened and then he snorted. "You really are more of an idiot than I thought." He reached out to pet the cat, but drew back as it hissed at him.

"Are you so sure, Yagami-kun?" Anna laughed.

~end of flashback~

Anna turned on the television. A broadcast showed up instead of the normal cartoons.

"What's this?"

"I am Lind L. Tailor, more commonly known as "L"-."

Anna gasped. "L?"

"But what you're doing is evil!"

Anna frowned. "That's not good."

A few seconds later, "L" collapsed. Anna gasped. "No way."

The TV screen went static-y for a second, then an L popped up on the screen.

Anna started to laugh. "You gotta be kidding me!"

"So come on! Kill me if you can!"

Anna watched as L continued to goad on Kira. She couldn't stop smiling. "Well you certainly live up to your reputation, L, I'll give you that." She put her hands behind her head as the TV switched back to cartoons. "This will be interesting."

* * *

><p>The sound of a saw could be heard from outside the garage.<p>

"…Yagami-kun…what are you doing?"

A clatter and some cursing. Light walked out of the garage. "Anna? What are you doing here?"

"…why do you think?" Anna walked into the garage before Light could stop her. "I didn't know you liked building things, Yagami-kun." She eyed the wooden boards that were being cut on top of a work table.

Light shrugged. "Thought I'd try something new."

Anna walked up to Light, stopping a few inches in front of him. "You're nervous."

"What? No I'm not."

Anna sighed and sat down on a table. "Liar. Yagami-kun, Sayu told me about how strange you've been acting."

Light laughed nervously, silently cursing the laughing shinigami next to him. "Yeah, well you know, Sayu."

Anna frowned and closed her eyes. "Yeah, I do. I know she's incredibly perceptive, despite what you think."

Light scowled. "Oh?"

Anna opened her eyes. "Yes, and she explained everything." She smiled, throwing Light off. "I know your secret, Yagami-kun!"

"Secret?"

"Yes! You, Yagami-kun, are gay!"

A stunned silence. "WHAT?"

A snort…then two sets of laughter. "AHAHA, you should have seen your face!" Tears streamed from Anna's eyes. "My gosh, that was good."

Light huffed. "That wasn't funny, Anna." The rasping laugh of Ryuk was starting to get on his nerves.

"HA! I beg to differ!" She wiped some tears from her face. "I haven't laughed that hard in a while."

"I'm not gay, Anna," Light growled.

Anna stopped laughing. "No need to lie, Yagami-kun. Don't you know what your name is spelled backwards in English?"

Light paused for a moment, then he scowled. Anna giggled. "I always wondered why you got so worked up about your hair."

Light grabbed her shoulders, trapping Anna on the bench. Her giggles stopped. "Yagami-kun-."

"I. Am not. Gay," Light spat venomously.

Anna's eyes widened. "No need to be so serious, Yagami-kun. I was just joking."

Light didn't move, making Anna slightly uncomfortable. "Yagami-kun?"

Light didn't answer immediately, but eventually he turned back around and went over to where his wood scraps were. "It's Light."

"Yagami-kun, there was something more serious I wanted to talk to you about."

Light grabbed a ruler and marked part off part of the wood. "Yeah, well I'm listening."

"I wasn't lying when I said I talked to Sayu."

Light paused for a second, but then picked up his saw. He didn't answer.

"I'm worried about you, Light."

Light dropped his saw and turned around. Anna never called him by his first name unless it was really serious.

"Anna, I'm fine," he smiled.

She didn't return the smile. "No, you're not, Light. You've been holing up in your room for weeks now and I can barely get a word out of you during class. You've lost weight! Ever since this Kira-," she paused. "Kira."

Light froze. "What about him?"

"Is that what's got you so worked up?"

Light didn't answer.

"Of course! I should have realized sooner. God, I'm stupid! Your father's working on the Kira case isn't he?"

"How did you know that?"

Anna ignored him. "It should have been so obvious. After L's stunt on TV, the Japan police force would have to be involved."

She looked back at Light, then stood up to hug him. "I'm so sorry, Light. I should have realized."

"Iie, Anna. I should have realized how much I was worrying you. Gomen."

Anna couldn't see the smirk on Light's face.

* * *

><p>It was 6 in the morning…Anna was having tea with Watson and Holmes.<p>

RING RING!

Anna almost fell out of her bed. "Grr."

She flipped open her phone. "Moshi-moshi."

"Hey, Anna, I know it's early, but-,"

"But nothing, Yagami-kun. I was just with THE Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. This better be good."

Light paused. Sherlock Hol-. He shook his head. Anna and her dreams.

"Sorry to interrupt your fantasies, Anna, but I was wondering if you wanted to go to Spaceland today."

"…Yagami-kun, don't you remember what happened last time I went to an amusement park?"

Light winced. He'd forgotten about that…

"Ah, you're right…I think I'll ask someone else then."

Click.

* * *

><p><strong>And that wraps up the first volume of Death Note! I hope it wasn't too bad...things aren't too exciting from the perspective of Anna so far...but that should change soon. Please...be kind. BTW: I don't own anything except for Anna.<strong>


	2. Kiraman! and Strawberries

Anna banged her head against her desk one more time.

"Grahhh!" Night raised his head questioningly from his curled up position on one of Anna's prep books, but didn't move.

She gritted her teeth. "Stupid college entrance exam!" She yanked on her hair. "I hate studying!" She threw her pencil across the room and crossed her arms in a huff. "I bet baka Yagami-kun doesn't even need to study for this stupid test. Grrr, he's so lucky!" She glanced at her alarm clock. "SHIT! I'm late for work!"

* * *

><p>Thankfully the bus actually came on time today, so Anna just made it. She quickly pulled on her uniform and threw her bag into her locker. Anna worked at one of the money hotels in the area, usually cleaning up rooms, delivering room service, etc. She glanced down at the order she'd been given, wondering if it was a mistake.<p>

"Uh…Aido…are you sure this is what they ordered?" The cart in front of her was completely piled up with what looked like the hotel's full stock of desserts. Anna thought it might collapse from the weight of all the sugary treats.

"No, that's what they ordered, Venn," Aido called from the kitchen.

"…and you're sure it wasn't a bunch of kids who did this? They could have grabbed the phone when their parents weren't looking."

Aido stepped out from behind the counter, wiping his hands off with a rag. "Sorry, don't think so."

Anna twitched. "Well if this guy doesn't have diabetes now, he's going to after eating all of this." She wheeled the cart over to the elevator. "Wish me luck!"

…Of course there was a bunch of people would be standing outside the door she needed to deliver to. It looked like they were all men, all dressed similarly too. Their attire just screamed feds. Thankfully they were all let in, no doors needed kicked down. Anna breathed a sigh of relief. It'd be just her luck to be caught in some gun fight or something. She wheeled the cart closer to the door. Perhaps they were having a meeting or something…it'd explain the huge need for dessert.

"Bang."

Gasps of shock followed the soft statement, though Anna couldn't figure out why. It would have been scarier if the person had shouted 'boo'. More words were exchanged, but Anna couldn't make them out. The door muffled everything too much. She decided to knock.

"Hai?" a voice called from behind the door.

"Room service!" Anna called. Some shuffling could be heard, then the door opened a crack. She could only make out a tuft of black hair and pale skin.

"Hai, thank you. You can leave it outside the door, please." It was the same person who had said 'bang' earlier.

"Wakarimasita. Domo arigatou gozaimasu!" Anna yanked the cart so that it was out of the way of the door, and then turned to leave. When she glanced back at the door, the cart was gone.

* * *

><p>"Excuse me," Anna said as a woman in a black coat brushed by her. Then, she noticed Light, standing not too far off.<p>

"Yagami-kun!" she called, waving. It caught Light's attention. He seemed startled, and almost looked a bit worried. Anna brushed it off.

"Uh, hey, Anna. When did you get here?" He looked over his shoulder for a second, looking irritated for some reason.

"Just now! I just got off of work." He seemed to relax a little.

"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot you worked today." They started walking.

"Mmm-hmm. Oh yeah, the weirdest thing happened at work today…well it wasn't that weird, but.."

The two walked back towards their houses, all the while Anna telling Light about the weird guest with the sweet fetish.

* * *

><p>The next day at work Anna found herself with yet another cartload full of sweets. She could practically feel the sweat drop.<p>

"Aido…this isn't for-".

"Yup, same room, Venn."

Anna sighed. "I hope this guy's rich…he's gonna need a dentist to go along with a doctor."

She wheeled the cart into the elevator. Of course…the guy had to be on the top floor too.

She knocked on the door. "Room service," she called.

The door opened almost immediately. This time it was an elderly gentleman at the door. She stiffened. What the hell was going on in this room?

"Thank you, miss," the elder gentleman said.

"Will there be anything else you'll be needing, sir?"

"No, that will be all thank you. I'll take that from here, if you don't mind." He grabbed the cart and wheeled it into the room.

Anna shook her head after the door shut. "I'm not sure I want to know…"

The sweets deliveries continued for the next few days. On the last day she found a lone strawberry with a note next to it when she went to pick up the cart. She picked it up and read it. 'Arigatou'. She laughed. She'd never been tipped with a strawberry before.

* * *

><p>On the way home a few days later (well…Light's home anyway) Anna, Light, and two other of Light's friends had begun to discuss Kira. Anna was riding on Light's back again, and they were almost outside Light's house.<p>

"Light's right!" They were outside his house now.

"See ya. Hey Yamamoto, it isn't too late to send me a New Year's card."

"Sorry Light, I only send cards to girls!"

Anna grinned from on top of Light's back. "So then, why didn't Yagami-kun get one yet?"

A chorus of laughter came from the two guys as they walked on. Anna was suddenly on the ground.

"Itai! Oi, Yagami-kun, that hurt! What was that for?" Anna stood up and rubbed her sore bottom.

He shrugged as he inserted the key into the slot. "It's not nice to make fun of people. I was only teaching you a lesson."

Anna punched his arm. "Oh shove it. No need to be so serious." They kicked off their shoes and headed up to Light's room. Light stopped suddenly outside his door. Anna ran into him. "Oi, Yagami-kun. What's the hold up?"

"Nothing," he replied cooly. "I just remembered something I need to pick up at the store. Why don't you wait downstairs and watch TV until I get back?"

Anna shrugged. "Alright, just hurry on back." She walked back down the stairs and flopped on the couch. Cartoon time.

Light came back about a half an hour later. He sighed when he noticed what Anna was watching.

"You know those shows rot your brain."

"They do not!" Anna said around a mouthful of popcorn. Where did she even get that from?

Light sat down next to her and leaned back, his arms behind his head. "You know, I've been wondering…"

Anna glanced at him. "Huh? About what?" Another handful of popcorn vanished into her mouth.

"About Kira. What do you think of him?" He felt a bit nervous mentioning Kira while he was being watched, but he figured he couldn't be convicted just be talking about it. After all, it's all anyone was talking about these days.

Anna thought about it, as she finished chewing. "I think he's misguided."

Light was a little surprised. "Misguided?"

Anna nodded. "It's noble and all, wanting to get rid of criminals, but I don't think killing is the way to do it."

"I see. What if they deserved to die, though?"

Anna looked right into his eyes then. He caught his breath. "How does anyone really know who deserves to die?" She shuddered. "I had a dream once where I was accused of a crime I didn't commit and I was put on death row. It was the scariest feeling ever." She shook her head. "I can't imagine ever wishing that upon anyone."

Light frowned. He didn't like that she disagreed, but he could see her point a little. This was Anna after all. Light couldn't imagine her being able to kill a bug, let alone a human.

"Although…"

He looked back at her, surprised to see her smiling.

"I suppose it wouldn't be too horrible if he used it like a super hero or something?"

"…what?"

"Just imagine it! If Kira could prevent harm from happening, instead of killing off whoevers on the news, that'd be amazing! There's an attempt at rape, BAM, Kira-man strikes down! There's a hostage situation, BUM BA DUM! Kira-man to the rescue!"

Light stared at her. She had somehow managed to climb on top of the back of the couch in her passionate moment. Then he started to laugh. "Kira-man?" He pushed her legs, making her fall back onto the couch.

Anna pouted. "Shut up! You know what I mean!"

Light grabbed Anna in a playful headlock. "Sometimes I wonder about you."

"Hey, don't hate the insane!"

* * *

><p><strong>Again, not too interesting, but now that L has decided to move in on Light, it should be getting interesting fast. To look forward to in the next chapter...the epic potato chip scene. Again, don't own anything except Anna and Aido.<strong>


	3. PJs and Pandas

Anna left after the next episode of her cartoon was over. Light invited her to stay for dinner, but she declined, insisting that she actually needed to study for the upcoming exams, unlike him.

Ok…so if that equals that...and that divided by that equals that…then this should be….24! Anna flipped to the back of her book to see if she was right. DAMMIT! She slammed the book shut. Mathematics had never been her strong suit…but it was Light's. She looked at the clock. The Yagami's would have just finished dinner around now. She looked at Night. "I guess I'll see ya later, kit." She grabbed her bag and a jacket. "Hopefully Yagami-kun's ego won't grow too much bigger."

* * *

><p>Light smirked to himself. 'It was a nice try, L, but you'll need more than those cameras to win. I'll solve problems with my right hand. Then, pretending to get chips with my left, I write a criminal's name down on the death note. Then I take out a chip and eat it!'<p>

"Whatcha doin', Yagami-kun?"

Light nearly flew off of his chair. Ryuk was laughing from his spot on the bed.

Anna sat there, with her head almost on his shoulder. She looked like she was trying really hard not to laugh.

"Anna! What-how did you get in here?"

Anna held up a bobby pin. "I'm a ninja."

Light pinched his nose. He swore Anna was going to give him a heart attack someday, Kira or no. His head snapped up when he heard the rustle of a bag. Anna had grabbed his chips. Strike that, he was going to be dead by the end of the night.

Anna glanced down into the bag, confused at the extra weight. A tiny TV was nestled amongst the chips. She raised an eyebrow. "You know, Yagami-kun, I don't think your parents would mind that much if you decided to take a break to watch TV."

Light breathed a slight sigh of relief. L probably wouldn't be able to pick up anything from that statement. Probably.

Anna reached in and took out a chip to eat. She spat it out as soon as it touched her tongue. "Blegh, consommé flavor!" She threw the bag back at Light. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Light threw the potato chip bag into the garbage. "I assumed you could read. Besides, you deserve it for grabbing it like that."

He reclined back in his chair. "Why are you here anyway? I thought you had to study."

Anna turned around and sat on his bed, not hearing Ryuk's yelp as she sat through him. "I need help with math."

Light smirked. "I thought you said you didn't need my help last time."

A pillow smacked him in the face. "Yeah, yeah. Don't rub it in."

* * *

><p>Anna checked her watch again. Damn you, Yagami Raito. He was taking forever! Geez, he must take longer than a girl to get ready. Honestly, how long does a guy need? Anna hadn't even bothered to change out of PJs for the exam.<p>

Finally Light came outside, his sister and mother cheering him on. Anna grabbed his hand and started to run…well…tried.

"Anna, what are you doing?"

Anna growled at him. "We're going to be late! Yagami-kun, I swear you're a girl sometimes. You know it only took me two minutes to get ready this morning?"

Light looked her up and down. "I can see why." He removed his hand from her grip and grabbed her arm instead. "Relax, Anna. We've got plenty of time."

"We better. I'm blaming you if they start without us."

* * *

><p>Anna took a deep breath. "Begin." She flipped open her book and started to read. 'Ok, concentrate, all you have to do is concen-'.<p>

"Student 162!"

GOD DAMMIT! She nearly snapped her pencil.

"Please sit properly."

She nearly growled. 'What the hell does it matter how someone sits? It's a freakin' test, just shut the hell up!' That's what she wanted to say. Instead she just tried to get back to the test.

* * *

><p>"So how do you think you did on the test?" Light asked.<p>

Anna shrugged. "As long as I got in, I don't care." She leaned on his arm. "That was exhausting though. I hate tests like that."

Light tried not to smile. It was obvious Anna wasn't quite as…studious as he was. "So I'm guessing you're going to go straight home and watch cartoons now."

"Nope."

"No?"

"I'm going to your house and watching cartoons. Your TV's bigger."

She was also a lot easier to please.

* * *

><p>"I hate having to wear these stupid things." Anna pulled on her dress, trying, and failing, to get more comfortable.<p>

Light just stood there, with his hands in his suit pockets. "Calm down, Anna. It's only for an hour."

"I don't care; it's an hour too long!" She tugged on it again. "I say we all boycott and wear pajamas."

Light sighed. "It's a little too late for that, Anna. Besides," he said, putting an arm around her shoulders, "You look nice."

Anna blushed. "Oh shut it." They walked inside, Anna no longer complaining.

"…Do you think we could wear PJ's when we graduate?"

Light would have face palmed if his arm wasn't around Anna.

* * *

><p>"And now a word from our freshman representatives."<p>

Anna clapped Light on the back as he stood up. "No pressure, Yagami-kun, but I'm glad it's you going up and not me."

Light just shook his head and walked towards the stage.

Anna stared at the guy who stood up to deliver the speech with Light. "No fair!" she muttered. "How come he gets to wear comfy clothes?" Hideki Ryuga looked like he'd literally just rolled out of bed, hair and everything. Somehow he reminded her of a panda. She listened as they started their speech…and nearly shot out of her chair. That voice! It was the same one from the hotel! The guy with the sweet fetish!

She clapped along with the rest of the crowd as the two representatives made their way back to their seats. They paused to talk to each other on their way back. Probably introducing themselves. As soon as Ryuga got back to his chair, he pulled his feet out of his shoes and moved into a crouching position. Anna looked down at her own feet, clad in high heels. She started to slip them off.

"Itai!"

Anna rubbed her head where Light had slapped it.

"Don't copy him, baka."

She glared at him. "So he can be comfy and I can't?" Light stared back at her. She growled. "Fine."

She peered around Light to look at Ryuga. "Oi, Ryuga." The panda turned his head. "Nice job up there, man. Way better than Light." She ignored Light's glare.

"Thank you…"

"Anna. Anna Venn." She reached over to offer her hand. "We've met before. I delivered your sweets at the hotel."

Ryuga seemed to brighten at this. "Ah, really? It's nice to nice to meet you formally, Miss Venn."

"Call me Anna."

* * *

><p>Anna stretched as she and Light walked outside. "Ah, thank goodness that's over." She took a deep breath. "I hate ceremonies. It's nice to be outside again."<p>

"Yagami-kun."

Anna turned and saw Ryuga. "Hey, Yagami-kun, I think Ryuga wants to talk to you." They stopped.

"Yagami-kun, thanks for today."

"No, thank you."

Was it just her, or did Light seem annoyed?

"It was nice meeting the both of you."

"You too, Ryuga! We should all go out for ice-cream sometime." Yeah, Anna was pretty certain that if Light wasn't annoyed before, he was now.

Ryuga smiled softly, looking even more like a panda than before. "That sounds nice. I'll see you around campus."

Anna waved as the car drove away. She turned to Light. "What's got your panties in a twist?"

He started. "What do you mean?"

"You've been irritated ever since you and Ryuga talked. He insult you or something?"

He shook his head. "No…there's just…something about him."

Anna shrugged. "Well I think you're crazy."

* * *

><p><strong>Finally, L is in the picture! Things should get a lot more interesting now. Again, I only own my OCs.<strong>


	4. Tennisu wa Simasen

Anna followed Light out of his house, trying to balance the tennis racquet on her hand as she walked.

"So he challenged you to a game of tennis?"

"Hai."

She stumbled a little when they had to cross the street, but the racquet hadn't fallen yet. "Does he know how good you are?"

Light shook his head.

"Well…don't go too hard on him." A pause. "Do I get to play too?"

"Anna…you don't even know the rules."

"…so?"

* * *

><p>Ryuga was waiting on a bench outside the court when they got there.<p>

"Hey, Ryuga!"Anna called. The panda raised his head in their direction.

"Anna, Yagami-kun," he acknowledged. He stood up and joined the group.

"Just a friendly match, Ryuga? I should warn you I have some tennis experience."

Anna snorted. "At least be honest with him, Yagami-kun. You were first in nationals a while back, after all."

"No worries. I placed first in England's Junior Tennis championships."

Anna stared. "Are you kidding me? What, is tennis a smart-people sport or something?" She stopped for a second. "Wait, you said England? Did you move from there?"

"I lived there for about five years."

"Really? Was it nice there?" Anna asked, interested.

Ryuga seemed a bit uncomfortable for some reason. Anna guessed he didn't like talking about his past, so she quickly changed the subject.

"So who do you think will win the game?"

Ryuga looked upwards for a moment. "There's about a 60% chance that I will win."

"60% huh?" Anna elbowed Light. "Looks like the odds are against you."

"Play to six?"

"No problem."

* * *

><p>Anna hadn't seen a lot of tennis matches before, but she figured that this came close to watching professionals. As soon as Ryuga slammed the first serve past Light, she knew this was going to be an interesting game. She wished she had popcorn with her. Soon enough, a crowd had formed; even a referee had joined in. Anna had volunteered as ball-girl. Running, at least, was something she could manage. In the end, Light ended up winning. She was a bit disappointed...it was always nice bringing down Light's ego a bit.<p>

Afterwards, Anna volunteered to put back some of the equipment they'd borrowed. When she returned she found out that Ryuga and Light were planning on getting some drinks at a coffee shop nearby.

She raised an eyebrow. "You just played an intense game of tennis…you're sweating bullets...and you want coffee?"

Ryuga raised a finger to his lips. "Is that a problem?"

She shook her head. "I'm gonna head back to my house, now though. I'm not much for coffee."

"See you around, Ryuga, Yagami-kun!" she called as she walked back, playing with the tennis racquet she'd grabbed from Light without him noticing. She'd give it back…eventually.

* * *

><p>"What?" she yelled. How could this be happening? "It wasn't Kira was it? Is he alright?"<p>

"Calm down, Anna. The doctor says he'll be fine, and no, it was just stress."

Anna sat down heavily onto her bed. "How is everyone else holding up?"

"We're all worried, but relieved. Sayu doesn't know. Mom doesn't want her to worry."

Anna rubbed her head. "I see. Well, tell your dad to get well soon, and if you need anything, I'm here."

"Thank you, Anna."

* * *

><p>"Hello?"<p>

"Hello, Anna. It's Ryuga. I was wondering…if that offer for ice-cream was still good."

* * *

><p>Anna put her spoon back into the bowl. She studied Ryuga's posture. He was sitting in his normal crouch across from her, a piece of cake with ice-cream in front of him. They were in a hotel room Ryuga had said he was staying in temporarily.<p>

"What is it you want to say? I have a feeling that you didn't call me here just for ice-cream."

"Very perceptive, Anna. You are correct. I called you here for a more serious matter."

Serious matter? Oh god, hopefully it wasn't too horrible.

"First of all, I want to tell you that I am L."

Anna just stared at him for a moment. "L? What do you mean-." Her eyes widened. "Oh, L as in detective L?"

"Hai. Soo desu."

Anna frowned, trying to tell if he was lying. It certainly sounded like it should be a lie…but she was good at reading people…and he _wasn't_ lying. But why would he tell her that? Wasn't he blowing his cover?

"Why are you telling me this? Isn't it dangerous?"

He scratched his head, looking perfectly unconcerned. "Normally, yes, I do like to keep my identity a secret. However, I believe it is necessary in this case."

"Ok then…wait, if you're L…why are you going to college?" She threw her hand up as soon as she asked that. "Wait, stupid question. You must be working a case. Is that why you wanted to talk to me?"

L nodded. "I am currently investigating the Kira case. I believe Kira may be one of the students who attend To-Oh."

"Are you serious? Figures, I'd pick the one college with a serial killer attending. So, why are you telling me this?"

"Because I believe there is a chance that Yagami Raito may be Kira, and I want you to help me prove his innocence or guilt."

Anna was stunned into silence…for a few seconds anyway.

"You…you think Light's Kira?"

"There's currently a 5% chance he is, yes."

She stared at him incredulously. "And you want me to help you bring down my best friend? Are you crazy? Why would I agree to that?" Anna stood up. "I think I should leave."

"Before you go, there is one last thing I would like you to consider," L said quietly.

Anna paused and turned around. "What?"

"At the beginning Kira only killed criminals. When I put up that broadcast he tried to kill me because he thought I would be in the way. You may not know this, but he also killed twenty F.B.I. agents, most of them leaving families behind. If Kira's already progressed to killing non-criminals who try to stand up to him, what do you think will come next?"

Anna didn't speak for a long time. "L?"

"Yes?"

"Say by some chance Light did end up being Kira. What would happen to him?" she nearly whispered.

L's face darkened. "He would be given the death penalty. He has killed too many people to get a life sentence."

Anna had walked over to the window while she was thinking, but she turned around now. She looked like she wanted to cry. "Ok, I'll help you. I need to make sure that if you go accusing my friend of being Kira, that I'm 100% sure that he is before you even think about putting him on trial."

L nodded. "I didn't expect anything less."

"So when do you want me to come?"

L pushed a strawberry into his mouth. That didn't stop him from responding. "If it's alright, I believe it would be best if you stayed here for the rest of the investigation." He swallowed. "For safety and convenience purposes."

"What about school?"

He pushed his thumb against his lips. "Hmm…I will arrange it so that you can watch the lectures from your computer. Any work given will be sent to you through email. For the time being, we will tell them that you are ill."

"That's fine by me…but there's just one problem."

L stared at her inquisitively.

"What about my cat?"

His thumb fell from his lips. "I will have an associate look after it for you." He stood up. "Now that that is taken care of I would like for you to meet the rest of the team." He paused. "Oh, and please, call me Ryuzaki now. Your name will be Anna Miller from now on."

* * *

><p>Anna followed him through the door and found herself in a living-room sort of area. A bunch of TVs were stacked in front of the couch and papers were strewn about the room. A group of guys were settled in the circle of seats, discussing something. They looked up when they heard the door close.<p>

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Anna. She will be helping us with the Kira case."

Anna waved at them. "Sup?"

The group of men looked stunned.

"R-ryuzaki….is this a joke?"

L climbed onto one of the chairs. "No. I believe Anna will be quite helpful to us." He put a lollipop in his mouth. Where did he even get that? "Please, introduce yourselves."

An older-looking fellow was the first to stand up. "I'm Asahi."

Anna smiled. "It's nice to see you again Ya-Asahi. I hope you're feeling better."

Light's dad smiled back, seemingly the first time in a while. "I am, thank you, Anna, and thank you again for the get-well gift."

This seemed to break the tension a little in the room. A younger-looking guy was the next to introduce himself. "I'm Matsui!" He even walked over to shake Anna's hand. Boy was he enthusiastic. "It's a pleasure to work with you!"

"Same." Anna had a feeling Matsui was newer to the police business, but she could sense that he was a good guy. She couldn't help but relax around him.

The other one introduced himself as Aihara. There was something about him that she liked, even though he seemed more serious than Matsui.

"Anna," Ryuzaki called.

"Yeah, what is it Ryu-…Ryuz-…you know what how 'bout I just call you Ryu-kun?" Anna gave up on trying to pronounce the new name. Japanese wasn't her first language after all.

"That's fine. I'd like you to take a look at something. I want your opinion."

Anna hopped over the back of the couch and sat next to L. "Ok."

L picked up a remote and pushed a button. One of the TVs came on and a message began to play.

"What do you think?" L asked once the video finished playing.

Anna crossed her arms. "Two things. One, this isn't the original Kira."

L put a thumb to his lips. "Interesting, and two?"

"And two, this Kira's a girl."

"Eh!" Matsui cried out. "What makes you say that?"

Anna turned to look at him. "…you're more surprised by the fact that this Kira's a girl than that it's not the original Kira…" She narrowed her eyes. "Typical males."

"Could you elaborate on that, Anna?" Light's father asked, a little calmer.

"Well the part about this Kira being a girl was the most obvious. From the way she talks you can tell that she's acting like a fan girl. I can't see many guys acting like that… Also, you can hear it."

"Hear it?" Aihara asked.

Anna nodded, noticing that L looked a lot more interested now. "I usually use my ears a lot more than my eyes, so I can usually pick up on a lot of things I hear. I've listened to enough voice distortions to be able to figure out what the person's real voice actually sounds like. When they use this kind of distorter, you hear a bunch of different pitches, but the original voice is still there somewhere."

L leaned in closer. "Do you think if you heard the voice again you'd be able to recognize it?"

Anna shrugged. "Probably. I'd have to hear their voice long enough to get used to it though."

"Hmm. That could be useful, but how did you decide this wasn't the same Kira?"

"It's just a feeling, but I don't think Kira would act like this. This would make him look bad, and I don't think that's what Kira wants."

L pulled his thumb down from his bottom lip. "I agree." He turned to a computer on his desk. "Watari?"

A "W" popped up on the screen. "Yes, Ryuzaki?"

"Please show Anna to her new room and fill her in on what we know so far."

"Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>So to sum up...Anna is now working on the team to catch Kira. How will Light react? Probably not very well. Stay tuned...different points of view may be in the future. <strong>


	5. You mean like the ones from Bleach?

"Then I hope that Light-kun will help us and pretend to be the real Kira."

Light stared at him in shock. That bastard…he would think to do that…

"Oh, Light-kun, don't be so upset at Ryu-kun." T-that voice! Light whipped his head around to see Anna._ Anna_, of all people, walk into the room. "This was actually my idea. I thought it'd be funny…"

"A-anna?"

She smiled at him. "Yes, that is my name. I should hope you know it by now."

"What are you doing here?" He looked over at L, who didn't seem the least bit bothered by Anna's interruption. "Don't tell me you're a suspect too?" He was going to kill L.

"Not anymore, Light-kun. Anna is here to help us with the Kira case."

Anna put her arm around Light's shoulders. "That's right! I'm here to make sure you're not -." She stopped mid-sentence, then put her hands on her hips. "Oi! What do you mean not anymore? I used to be a suspect?"

"Hai. It seemed highly coincidental for you to work at the same hotel I was staying at and be friends with Light-kun at the same time. I suspected you might be working for Light-kun if he was Kira."

"Oh, then what changed your mind? Don't think I have what it takes to work for a serial killer?" She'd gone up to L now and was staring into his face.

"No."

Anna reeled back at the blunt answer. "What, you don't think I'm smart enough?"

"No…that's not it either."

Light sighed. "What he means is that you don't exactly have a killer's instinct, Anna."

Anna turned to face him. "What do you mean?" She looked confused…not that that was unusual for her.

L decided to jump in before he could speak. "While I was monitoring you I noticed just how passionate you were about life. I knew someone such as that could never work with Kira, friend or not."

Anna scratched her head. "…I still don't get it."

"Anna, remember when your goldfish died a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah, what's that got to do with it?"

"…you cried over that thing for hours."

"Did not!"

L looked at her. "It's true, Anna-chan. I have it on record."

Her jaw dropped. "Y-you were watching me?"

"I had to make sure you weren't aligned with Kira."

Anna sighed. "Fine, as long as you didn't tap the bathroom."

Silence.

"YOU TAPPED MY BATHROOM?" Light had to grab Anna quickly before she tackled L. She struggled against him. "Let me go, Light-kun, he deserves to be punched!"

* * *

><p>Light was almost boiling with rage on his way home. H-how dare he? How dare he take Anna, <em>his<em> Anna, and use her against him! He really needed to punch something. That bastard wasn't even letting her leave the hotel. He probably thought he might try to talk to her if she left, and dammit, he was right. He was sure that he could convince Anna to cover for him if he got the chance, but L was ruining everything again! She already knew so much that could be used against him…his anti-social behavior, space land, the TV… Taking Anna was an ingenious plan, but there was one thing he could count on. Anna would never sell him out as Kira, unless she was absolutely sure it would benefit everyone to do so, and she definitely wouldn't let him die. He relaxed a little. No, Anna was on his side, he was sure of it.

* * *

><p>The members of the task force, including Anna, watched the broadcast they'd forged to trick the second Kira.<p>

"Hmmm. It does sound like something Kira would say, but…" Anna hesitated.

"What's wrong, Anna?" Matsui asked.

She turned to look at him, looking both confused and amused at the same time. "…why did you make the name sparkle?"

She looked over at L, who was eating again. "Ryu-kun…did you do that on purpose?"

He glanced at her. "I tried to make it look as authentic as possible."

She stared at him for a few seconds. "AHAHAHAHA! Oh my god, I didn't know you had it in you!"

Matsui looked at them, confused. "Eto…what do you mean by that, Anna?"

"Well, Ryu-kun thinks Light-kun is Kira, right?"

"…yeah."

"Look at the background for the message. Doesn't it just scream femininity?"

Matsui's eyes widened.

* * *

><p>"Ryu-kun?"<p>

L was busy typing on his laptop, though Anna had no idea what. "Hai?"

"May I ask you some questions?"

He kept on typing. "I cannot promise to answer them."

Anna was lying on the couch, next to the seat L was in. Most of the taskforce had either gone home for the night or had fallen asleep somewhere. Anna usually stayed up relatively late, so she hadn't fallen asleep yet, but she was starting to feel a bit tired. Now that she knew that Ryuga was L she was more curious than ever. She just hoped she wouldn't annoy him too much.

"How old are you?"

"Older than you."

Anna sighed. So he wasn't going to be nice about this. She should have known.

"Ok, then. What's your favorite TV show? Mine's-"

"Bleach, I know, and I do not watch TV."

Anna stared at him. "That's just creepy."

L sighed and closed his laptop. "Is there a point to these questions? You will not be able to find my identity from any of them."

Anna sat up. "Identity? I wasn't trying to figure out your name."

L stared at her curiously. "I fail to see the point in asking such trivial questions then."

Anna shook her head. "I was just trying to get to know you is all. I have to get to know my new friend somehow after all."

L put a finger to his lips, his eyes slightly wider than usual. "Friend?"

Anna grew worried. "Uh yeah, at least I thought we were. But if you don't want to be, I guess that's okay too." Maybe she really was stupid. Why would the great L ever want to be friends with a simple college freshman like her?

"I don't believe I've ever had a friend before."

Anna's eyes widened. Never had a-. Oh wow. He was joking, wasn't he? He was L, the great detective! Surely he must have had someone at some point, even if it was when he was a kid. He didn't seem to have the greatest social skills in the world, but he was likeable enough. Anna couldn't imagine anyone not having a friend at some point in their lives. Was he truly that separated from the world?

"I think I would like that very much."

Anna stopped pondering his earlier statement and paid more attention to him. A small smile was on his face, and she fought very hard not to hug him then and there. Everything in his body language told her that he hadn't been lying about not having a friend before, and it darn near broke her heart.

She smiled back at him. "Me too."

* * *

><p>A day later, the second Kira replied. They all gathered around the computer to watch.<p>

"I want to meet Kira-san. I don't think Kira-san has the eyes, but don't worry! I won't kill Kira-san, no matter what! Please think of a way to meet without getting caught by the police. When we meet we can confirm each other's identity with our shinigami."

Anna had to jump backward to avoid getting hit by the chair that fell over. For a moment Anna thought L had finally lost his balance, but one look at his face erased that theory. She quickly moved forward and grabbed L's shoulder.

"S-shinigami? Am I supposed to believe that they're real?" Anna had never seen L so worked up, and she wasn't even sure why the statement had caught him so off guard.

Light, his father, and L started to talk, each coming up with, or building off of each other's theories. Then Light said something that seemed to calm L down a little.

"Then maybe shinigami is a code word for their ability to kill." L seemed to like that theory better than then the one that suggested that shinigami might actually exist. Anna couldn't help but think it'd be cooler if shinigami did exist instead. One thing was confusing her though.

"Shinigami? You mean like the soul reapers on Bleach? Why would they kill living criminals?"

Light actually laughed. "Anna, I doubt they mean the shinigami from Bleach. I think they meant a more classic representation."

Anna pondered this for a moment. "You know…it is kind of a coincidence that there's a shinigami named Kira in Bleach too…"

"Anna…"

"Yes, Light-kun?"

"No."

She pouted. "Fine."

* * *

><p>The next day another video with a diary was sent in. The team was puzzling over what to do. Three locations were mentioned in the diary, so which one did Kira want to meet Kira at? The last one was the most obvious, but it was a bit too obvious.<p>

"Why don't you just go to all of them?" Anna asked. They looked at her. "Go in normal clothes and look out for the Kira's on all of the days. Kira won't know that you're there, so they won't get suspicious, and Kira #2 was probably planning on going to all of them until the real Kira met up with her anyway."

L agreed with her and began giving out instructions. Matsui instantly volunteered to go, as did Light.

"Ooh, can I go?" Anna asked. "I haven't gone shopping in a while, and I can keep an ear out for Kira numero 2 while I'm there."

Light's father frowned. "Anna, don't you think that's a little dangerous?"

Anna frowned. "Why? It's not like she'd be able to know I'm looking for her." She wrapped her arms around Matsuda and Light. "Besides, I got two able-bodied men with me. I'll be fine." Matsuda blushed.

L was silent for a few moments. Light stared at him, wondering what he'd do. 'She's got you there, L. You don't want her alone with me, but she could be useful if she did happen to hear Kira. Either way, you lose.'

"Anna will go too." L decided. "On the condition that she does not leave Matsui's sight."

Anna cheered. "Sweet!"

Light frowned. L surprised him again, but maybe it'd be possible to get her alone at some point even under Matsuda's supervision.

L then began to brief them all on the new safety precautions that would be followed. All pictures of them were to be deleted, and none of the police were to go out looking as policemen. Anna's eyes widened as she realized something.

"Shoot! This means I have to delete my Facebook page, doesn't it?"

* * *

><p>Matsuda walked Light to his car. As soon as the car began to drive away his cell phone went off.<p>

"This is Ryuzaki. While you are in Aoyama and Shibuya, please cooperate with Raito, but also pay attention to his every move. Make it a secret, please. "

"Uh, hai. Wakarimasita." Matsuda was about to hang up.

"Oh, and one more thing." He pulled his finger away from the end button. "Under no circumstances let Light be alone with Anna." This time he was met with a dial tone.

He sighed. L wasn't going to give up on his theory that L was Kira. He turned to walk back inside the hotel. At least he'd get to hang out with Anna all day.

* * *

><p>When Anna and Matsuda went to meet Light they found out that he wasn't alone. He'd brought a decent sized group of friends with him, presumably to make the three of them less suspicious.<p>

"Guys, this is Anna, an old friend of mine." She waved. "And this is Tarou-san, my cousin. This is Tarou-san's first time in Tokyo, so I'm showing him around. Anna found out and decided she wanted to come too." He paused. "Oh, he's also looking for a girlfriend. Any volunteers?"

Matsuda protested as the rest of them laughed good naturedly. The group of them began walking, Matsuda keeping his eyes on Light and Anna as promised; even if he didn't think that Light was Kira.

A few of the guys began to chat with Anna. As much as she would have liked to enjoy herself, she was supposed to be keeping her ears out for Kira #2, and she wasn't going to hear anything over these guys. She stopped and told them to go on ahead, pretending that one of her shoes became untied. She stood back up when she was at the back of the crowd, by Matsui. It was quieter back there. Despite only talking every once in a while to Matsui, she was still unable to hear Kira. It might have been quieter in the back of the group, but they were in a city, so it was still rather noisy. They didn't have any luck, and keeping true to L's promise, she didn't leave Matsui's side unless it was to use the bathroom, and even Light didn't try to follow her there. They later found out that Kira #2 somehow did manage to find Kira, despite their failed attempts at locating them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Omake~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"…Ryuk, what are you reading?"

The shinigami was currently lying on Light's bed, with some sort of book in his hands. His head was off the bed, looking at it upside down.

"Ku ku ku ku. I can't believe what you humans dream up about shinigami these days. What the hell is a zanpakutou, anyway?"

* * *

><p><strong>Lol...I couldn't resist throwing some Bleach references in...anyways...I thought about Light somehow managing to confront Anna about Kira while they were searching for Misa...but I decided it was a little too soon. Next chapter...we all meet Misa. <strong>


End file.
